كيفَ يُهنَّى العيش من إلفُهُ

كيفَ يُهنَّى العيش من إلفُهُ

باعدَهُ وهو مشوقٌ إليهِ

باعدَهُ وهو مشوقٌ إليهِ

How can life be sweet for one whose beloved

How can one be content when parted from the beloved,

has kept him at a distance, while he longs for him?

Whom separation pained, and for whom fondness burned?

وصِرتُ لا أملأُ عَينيَ من

وصِرتُ لا أملأُ عَينيَ من

هُ حذراً من عينِ غيرِي عليهِ

هُ حذراً من عينِ غيرِي عليهِ

And I no longer fill my eyes with the sight of

My eyes refrain from gazing upon him,

him, for fear of another's gaze upon him.

Lest others' eyes alight on him instead of mine.

وا بِأبي من كلّ طرفٍ غَضي

وا بِأبي من كلّ طرفٍ غَضي

ضٍ أخذَ الفَترةَ من مُقلتيهِ

ضٍ أخذَ الفَترةَ من مُقلتيهِ

Ah, may my father be his ransom—every downcast gaze

By my father, from all sides envy snatched

has drawn its languor from his eyes.

The chance to rest from between my eyelids.

وكلُّ من أبصرَهُ عالمٌ

وكلُّ من أبصرَهُ عالمٌ

بأنَّهُ رهن معي في يديهِ

بأنَّهُ رهن معي في يديهِ

And everyone who has seen him knows

All who looked on him knew

that he, with me, is captive in the beloved's hands.

That he was a pledge clasped in my hands.